Sadly yes! Our GMO organizes one clinic series and it is solely for pros, save one spot for an AA. Apparently we’re supposed to be happy with auditing. Don’t get me wrong, I find auditing very valuable but riding is certainly preferable and I think it’s ridiculous to shut out the largest segment of your membership.
My GMO has great clinics, and I enjoy auditing them when they are close enough - but in terms of riding, my trainer/barn organizes its own clinics with the people we want to work with. Extra benefit - no trailering - and if they can only come on a Tuesday, I can still sneak in a lesson before work.
I jump at every chance to ride with Lilo Fore and Henk van Bergen. I find them both to be very positive and encouraging, while still being sufficiently tough to improve.
In terms of bringing in some new perspectives, last year I also rode with Ulf Mueller and Christophe Theallet. This year I’m looking forwarding to adding rides with Lisa Wilcox too.
They aren’t cheap, but lots of wonderful trainers will happily schedule a clinic/day of private lessons if you have a decent enough group and a coffee pot 
Which GMO is this? I am in CT and I don’t recall most of these names being offered publicly?
I think Joiedevie99 had lessons with all these trainers thru private clinics organized at her/his barn.
Sorry I wasn’t clear. I belong to NEDA and CDA - but these aren’t the public clinics that I listed. These are the people we bring in privately.
Hm. Well that nice, but maybe not particularly helpful to the idea of clinics for AAs if they’re not open to the public.
1 Like
I only offered my thoughts because I understood OP to be asking about putting on her own AA clinics, rather than relying on her not-so-responsive GMO. I only meant to imply that 1) it’s possible to put on your own if you don’t like the public offerings, and 2) give her some suggestions of people we’ve found easy to schedule. I’m sorry if it came off some other way.
3 Likes
If OP wants to put on clinics to go ahead and have one of these “private” clinics. I got all my training at these private clinics that you find about thru word of mouth.
The barn owner kept the same clinicians coming throughout the years and the clinicians got to know you and your horse.
One clinician that I ride with, I am now going on my 21 year riding with him…another probably going on 18 yrs…so these are long-term teacher-student relationships…not just “one-off” wonders.
I don’t understand what distinguishes a “private” clinic, from anything being discussed on this thread unless you are talking about a “closed clinic”…eg., a clinic with no auditors. Most of the "private clinics I have ridden in allowed auditors, either free of with a minimal auditing fee.
I found that the USDF Adult Clinics required some bunch of “qualification criteria” that was really off-putting.
This is what I had in mind…forget any imprimatur from the GMO or the USDF and just go do your own thing.
Find a barn with an indoor, perhaps one that would allow for someone traveling a distance to overnight a horse…or not…and then just go and hold your clinic.
Well, to me, it just shows that clinics can be/are organized for AA and which clinicians do come in that region already.
Maybe if you would nicely ask Joedevie99 about the next series, you could be invited to audit or even better ride if there is not enough boarders participating…
Also, if JdV99’s barn is inviting a clinician you like, maybe talk to that clinician too and you could schedule a clinic too, prior or after JdV99’s one. share travel/hotel fee
It’s not because a barn organize private clinics that it is necessarily close to the public. It might just not be advertized as an « event ».
The barn might also have enough participants and auditors already.
If you’d like to hear about clinics organized in your region, make friends with other dressage riders/barns.
That’s what I did and I had the pleasure to audit and ride with nice clinicians at nice private barns.
Janet Foy, Diane Creech, Stephen Clarke, Jaimey Irwin, etc.
2 Likes
Just to add :
Someone around here put up a facebook page for people to advertize their clinics.
1 Like
Hmmm, why I love COTH… I find it interesting that there are private clinics. I host two to three clinics a year, fill each day with lessons and don’t charge auditors… we get few new people, which is a shame.
I wish the other local barns would inform us when they have clinics (Facebook would be fine… just a post, nothing fancy) and they would come watch/ride and enjoy ours as well. I’ve tried calling, sending flyers, made up sponsored goodie bags…heck once I took my good friend (Wendy Schaeffer) door to door to try to drum up interest… if a Olympic gold medalist can’t make people excited; well I don’t know how to drag them in… audit or ride.
I have found out about a few other clinics mostly by chance and have quickly gone and joined to network myself and try to get them to come to mine… kind of I’ll help fill your clinic if you help fill mine. This has worked a bit so that’s good, but would love to know about more opportunities to learn. I usually only hear of things last minute.
Having a clinic next weekend and I’m super excited a few new people signed up, now if winter would just go away!!
3 Likes
That was the implication, that it was for clients of the barn only. Thus it doesn’t really do anything for the greater dressage community.
I already have some public clinics arranged. However, I don’t have the connections to just call up Janet Foy and get her here once a month, hence my question about where this is and whether they were offered publicly since I didn’t remember hearing anything about these. I would participate if they were offered but the strong implication was that they were private.
I currently have 2 3yos, so I am not much of a participant at the moment anyway.
My former barn, in the OPs area, regularly had top clinicians in. Usually at least every other month
It was open to anyone to ride who wanted to participate and you could sit in a chair and watch, no charge.
It was not miked, not audience directed. I consider such events symposiums, not clinics.
Most of the clinicians were friendly enough to welcome questions during the breaks, some even walked over to the chairs and engaged in questions.
the GMO did put on some symposiums in the 90s and early 2000s but that dwindled as I suspect the cost was not recouped.
I’ll second or third the idea of a series with the same clinician. A barn here in Ocala did a series with Janet Foy last year - and I believe they are continuing it this year - very popular.
Most of the clinicians you would want - like Janet Foy - have facebook pages and have websites with calendars. Email them. You don’t need “connections”.
2 Likes
How to find out about those “private” clinics? some ideas: follow the facebook page of the barns that host them. make friends with riders in different barns.
I administer our GMO’s facebook page; I share every clinic that comes across my page or into my email. I get feeds from local barns, other GMOs, and other riding friends.
1 Like
Seems I am very lucky. I have a great GMO which organizes yearly clinics specifically for us, the members. This year we had 3 Janet Foy clinics. And they do fill up quickly, for the last ones people started to fight for the spots. Additionally there are 2 private facilities which organize clinics with some amazing clinicians. I remember when I moved to Florida I wanted to ride with a BNT when I heard about it and was told that he was booked out. So I asked to be put on a waiting list for the next clinic. And since then I have ridden every year with him… And I found some very nice friends through this connection. And I agree with Lorilu, Just ask the clinician you want to invite. All the ones I know are very nice and willing to schedule clinics if possible.
1 Like
We definitely have private clinics in the area with some great clinicians… Most tend to fill up with boarders/clients at the barns putting them on. I’ve been able to get in to some of these, usually thanks to friends in those barns who hear of an open spot, but they often aren’t publicized except for auditing because the ride spots are filled as soon as they’re booked. Our goal would be to make ours open to a wider group of riders and to those who (like myself) aren’t necessarily affiliated/embedded with a specific trainer. All of that is being hashed out as we work out details. Right now we’re putting together a list of clinicians who might be good to approach. We’ve definitely got ideas but I wanted to put it out here to see what other makes people have enjoyed riding with. This thread has definitely added some ideas to the list so thank you to everyone who has made suggestions!
2 Likes
Like others have said, just contact any clinician you would like to schedule.
Janet’s info are on her website, but she’s on facebook too.
As an exemple, Janet has a « schedule » on her website with organizers contact info.
Contact organizers regarding the clinicians you are interested in is another solution.
I know it sounds quite intimidating to contact those BNT and judges but really, they are really nice.
Also, check shows in your area : who is judging and when. Maybe they could come prior or after the show for a weekday clinic! Same could apply for BNT and riders.
There are a lot of private clinics in my area - some are open to auditors, but many are PRIVATE. Meaning by invitation only. One of the area barns brings in a lot of big names (Kathleen Raine, Jo Hinneman, etc) and allows no auditors, and you only ride by invite.
I do some private clinics, but in my case, they are usually open to auditors. Private simply means I’m not running through a GMO, I’m organizing it myself. I often advertise them on Facebook, and have an email list of people who have told me they are interested.
One thing to keep in mind with clinics - the cost has to cover the clinicians daily rate PLUS travel costs - hotel, meals, airfare (if any), mileage (if any), car rental (if any), and other related costs such as arena use fees, stabling, etc. And find out how many riders the clinician is willing to teach - I’ve had clinicians limit be to 8 horses a day, and others that were willing to do 10 or 12.
And yes, most of those clinicians are perfectly approachable by phone or email
1 Like
